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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. capital — a city
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. capital — money
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — thin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chip — for betting
  17. club — a group
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com